Golf in Wisconsin
Overview
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This page explains golf in Wisconsin. The sorter handles the local question by city or ZIP.
Golf in Wisconsin
The City of Madison Parks operates several public golf courses described as providing exceptional value, and Milwaukee County's Brown Deer Park Golf Course is a well-regarded public layout in the metro area. Wisconsin Golf's statewide membership directory lists public and semi-private courses offering seasonal memberships across all regions.
Published local price
Odana Hills Golf Course (City of Madison, 18 holes walking) maximum daily fee; rates are dynamic and vary by day and time
Published range: $25 to $56.
Golf Madison Parks - Rates and Season Passes · as of 2026Where to go
Golf score
32nd of 51 states for retirement golf
Golf score blends year-round playability (34%), playable access (16%), affordability (16%), course pedigree (12%), and statewide course density (22%).
Courses
A sample of marquee courses across Wisconsin, with where to play and how to book.
Windswept links along two miles of Lake Michigan coastline · Pete Dye
This is the major-championship and Ryder Cup host up on the Sheboygan lakeshore, and it is walking only. Bring a caddie and take your time along the bluffs above Lake Michigan.
Opened 1998 · $$$$ · Slope 152
Photo: Specialkboyle (Wikimedia Commons), Public domain
Short par-4 ninth called Cathedral Spires along the river · Pete Dye
Pete Dye routed this one through the woods and along the Sheboygan River, with a stretch that has hosted U.S. Opens. It is a sister course to Whistling Straits at the same Kohler resort.
$$$$ · Slope 151
Photo: Dan Perry (Wikimedia Commons), CC BY 2.0
Glacial kettle-moraine terrain with firm fescue and no homes · Michael Hurdzan, Dana Fry, Ron Whitten
Host of the 2017 U.S. Open, Erin Hills is a walking-only course laid over rolling glacier-carved ground west of Milwaukee. A caddie or forecaddie is part of the experience here.
Opened 2006 · $$$$
The Flower Hole par-3 framed by tens of thousands of blooms · Robert Trent Jones Jr.
Wisconsin's original destination course in Stevens Point, reborn after a 2014 renovation and paired with a boutique hotel. The famous Flower Hole is worth the trip on its own.
Opened 1982 · $$$$ · Slope 139
Open prairie front nine and wooded back nine on rolling hills · Robert Trent Jones Jr.
The home course of the Wisconsin Badgers, just outside Madison in Verona, open to the public. You get an open, links-feeling front nine and a quieter wooded back nine.
Opened 1991 · $$$ · Slope 142
Bold elevated greens and deep bunkers on a glacial ridge · William Langford and Theodore Moreau
A Golden Age classic above Green Lake that has been restored to firm, fast, ground-game golf. It is walkable, free of houses, and a favorite of architecture fans.
Opened 1930 · $$$ · Slope 130
Mature parkland with a creek crossing eight holes · George Hansen
The Milwaukee County muni where Tiger Woods turned pro, with a creek winding through the round and rates that stay reasonable. Walking is allowed and the regulars know it well.
Opened 1929 · $$ · Slope 133
We've mapped 12 courses across Wisconsin so far.
What Wisconsin costs
Cost of living
94
BEA index, U.S. = 100
State income tax
~4.5% state income-tax planning rate
Social Security
Not taxed
How people start
Most metros list city-run courses with published fee schedules. Those set the affordable floor before any private club enters the picture.
Many courses post a reduced weekday senior rate and a season pass. The difference between pay-per-round and a pass is the number that usually drives the yearly cost.
In warm states the season runs most of the year; in cold ones it is a few months. The yearly cost is rounds-per-year times rate, plus cart and equipment.
Towns in Wisconsin
Milwaukee County Parks operates 13 public golf courses, one of the largest county-run golf systems in the Midwest, with an unlimited golf membership and a Players Discount Program available to residents. The parks department sells gift cards redeemable for green fees, cart rentals, and pro shop merchandise at any of the 13 locations.
Milwaukee County Parks - GolfCommon questions
The City of Madison Parks operates several public golf courses described as providing exceptional value, and Milwaukee County's Brown Deer Park Golf Course is a well-regarded public layout in the metro area. Wisconsin Golf's statewide membership directory lists public and semi-private courses offering seasonal memberships across all regions. Towns like Milwaukee have their own local options.
Wisconsin has a cost-of-living index near 94 (U.S. = 100), about a 4.5% state income-tax planning rate, and does not tax Social Security. The full state guide breaks down property tax, sales tax, and long-term-care costs, each sourced.
Sources
The life your money is for